[User Post] MONSTA X's I.M receives backlash from Muslims

Rapper Changkyun also known as I.M from Monsta X, teased fans with the first set of concept photos on February 14 at 8 pm KST for his solo mini digital album "Duality."  Soon after the release, Muslim fans noticed that in the third concept photo, I.M was wearing a shirt with the inscription "Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim" in Arabic "بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم." It is a sacred phrase for Muslims that translates to “In the name of Allah, The Most Gracious and The Most Merciful.“ It's recited by Muslims daily for many different occasions, before reciting Quran & in prayers.

The shirt source is yet to be found, and fans are speculating that it is most likely to be handmade, especially for the concept photo, which raises concerns about the type of cultural and religious insensitivity that K-pop idols show from time to time. However, there is still a big portion of fans who puts all the blame on the company and their stylists instead of the idols themselves. Whether the responsibility partially falls on the idol or the company, all fans can agree that with kpop going global, there is still so much education that idols should receive about racial and religious topics in order to avoid such unfortunate incidents that offend many people, especially since this is not the first incident in which Islam was used by many kpop idols for aesthetic and artistic purposes.